Ashford's £16 million ring road redevelopment is cutting traffic and forcing motorists to drive more slowly, according to county transport chiefs.

But parts of it are already showing signs of wear and tear.

A report by Kent County Council suggests the high-profile shared space element of the scheme is already proving a success in curbing the amount of traffic around the town centre. It also anticipates that road accidents will be cut by a third.

The report, due to be considered by county councillors next week, says the number of vehicles expected to use Elwick Road will drop to about 8,000 a day from the 19,000 that used it when it was one-way.

A week-long traffic survey conducted before Christmas showed just 5,000 cars using the shared space element of the ring road.

But it is not all good news. KCC has confirmed just six months after it opened to traffic, paving in parts of the public realm is already cracking while the “flume” feature in Bank Street is showing signs of what is described as “distress”.

It is not yet clear if the deterioration is a “construction or design fault.”

The report also raises a question mark over the on-going maintenance costs, saying: “The long term robustness of the public realm and increased maintenance liability is an issue both in Ashford and the wider interest being shown in such schemes in Kent and nationally.”

For more on the report, see Thursday's Kentish Express